Michael Winner’s personal assistant has spoken of the “heartbreaking” moment
her boss died as she struggles to cope with the loss of her friend and shock
of finding he was £12m in debt.

Dinah May, 59, a former Miss Great Britain, worked for the former film director for the past 35 years.

She told The Sunday Times that on the day of his death in January this year, his wife Geraldine Lynton-Edwards had gone to the gym and she was changing the dressing on his arms.

“I was just holding his hand and I was saying, ‘What are you holding on for? You said goodbye to everybody, everyone in heaven is waiting for you’ and suddenly his breathing started to change and he took his last breath and that was it.

“So to see that was quite heartbreaking.”

Mr Winner had a gross estate of £16.8m but had debts of £12m on his death.

Miss May, who lives in one of the flats Mr Winner owned, said he thought the sale of his main London residence in Kensington would pay off the debts and mortgages for other properties.

But the house only has 33 years on its lease and is owned through a company and subject to 22 per cent corporation tax.

“I really think he was too grand to think of mortgages. I don’t think for one minute that he thought a mortgage was something that was passed to you – he just said that from the big property this would all be paid,” said Miss May.

The divorcee is now planning on writing a book about Mr Winner’s life.

“I’d like to say I was annoyed with Michael about it, but that’s just Michael,” she said. “I just don’t know where I am – I feel really sad.”